Villa Saletta Riccardi 2019
£52.45
The wine
A full, ample and silky expression of Sangiovese, with aromas of leather and tobacco unfurling into ripe red fruit, chinotto and quinine. Velvety tannins envelop the fruit on a beautifully balanced palate, through to a long and elegant finish.
Riccardi is varietal Sangiovese from the estate's best parcels, made in the Pisan hills rather than Chianti Classico. Warmer, coastal-influenced sites give the grape a rounder, more generous character than the cooler inland zones, with the acidity still present but less severe.
The producer
Villa Saletta
View all Villa Saletta winesVilla Saletta lies in the Pisan hills at Palaia, and the estate is documented as far back as the tenth century; the surrounding hamlet is medieval. It fell into disrepair in the twentieth century and was bought in 2000 by the Hands family, who have spent two decades restoring both the buildings and the vineyards.
This is not classic Chianti country. The Pisan hills lie west of the famous zones, closer to the coast and warmer, which is why Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot ripen here as reliably as Sangiovese. The estate has leaned into that rather than fighting it, and the top wines are Bordeaux varieties made in a Tuscan setting.
Everything is farmed organically, and the vineyards were entirely replanted rather than inherited, which allowed the family to match variety to soil from the outset. The wines carry family names, and 980, a varietal Cabernet Franc, refers to the year the estate first appears in the historical record.
